Wind instrument



Jan. 13, 1931.` H. BERNARD l 1,788,613

WIND INSTRUMENT .sind Jumzs, 1925 sheets-sheet 1` Jan. 13, 1931. H.BERNARD y n WIND INSTRUMENT .Filed June 26, 419225 2 Sheets-Sheet" 2 pPatented Jan. 13, 1931 UNITED STATES PATIENT oFFlcE HmvnEnNann, orcnmnnsnune, rnNNsnvaNrA fwrNn INSTBMENT `Application led inne 26,v19223.v Serial No.` 847,895.

This invention relates to improvements in lateral-vent instruments ofthe so-called wood wind type'and ocarinas in starting an upper f Y ofFigure 1;

register `at C as one of its objects.

Another object of the 1nvent1on 1s to provide an Ocarina havmg amechanical dev1ce for changing the size of the tone chamberI whereby thetones maybe quickly kchanged from full tones to halfftones, also toprovide `a vent havingthe same effect as mechanical device innullifyinga tonechamber for halftones.v l h y A 'still further obj ect of theinvention 1s to provide an Ocarina having a series of tone '151 holesorports with a staff formed in connec- 25 provide .an Ocarina of alongVtapering construction thus facilitating overblowing and causing themajority `of, notesto .octave ind tune, by discarding from the main.-v(or octaving) scale those tones in any ordinaryocarina 30 that requireall ventsclosed and substituting a leakwhole therefor.

With the above and.' such other objects in view as may hereinafter morefully appear, I have invented the device illustrated in the 5accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an'ocarina; l Figure 2 is a side elevationalview thereof; Figure 3 is abottom plan view thereof ;rk Figure 4 is a 1side elevational view of a modified form; 1 ,t Figure 5 is a plan viewof one member of the device; w c

Figure 6 is a similar view of another mem- 45ber;` 'L 1 form of theinvention `Figure 7 v is a sectionl on line 7-7 of Fig-` ure 1; Y 1 1 .1

Figure 8 is an enlargedsection on line 8,--8,

Figure9 is a plan view of another modified 1 Figure 10 is azsecti'on online 1(1)-10, Fig-y ure-S; andf 1 Figure 11 is a sectionon line 11-1-11,Figure4. v 1

Like reference ,characters indicate like parts throughout the followingspecification and. in vtheseveralrviews in the drawings, in which 1indicates the o'carina formed of two sections 1 and 2 (see Figs. 5 and6) from stamped sheet metal, said sections being se, cured together bymeans of thebverlapped; seams 4. and 5 (see Figure 11). Aswill bev notedin the drawings this Ocarina is in a relatively long, narrow taperingform having a turned-in portion 6 in'its large'end 7, said turned-inportion extending to the mouth '8,

in the up er section 2. Integrally formedon '1 the mem ers 2 and 3 inalignment with said mouth 8 area pair of cooperating channel members 9and 10 which forms the mouth piece or wind-lay 11. In the extreme head12 of they enlarged end 7, is provided a pivoted valve y13,. heldnormally closed by a spring 14 and controlled by a key 15, the inner end16 of which bears upon the lug 17, whereby down pressure upon the kkey151will cause the valve 13 to open, thus enlarging the tone chamber andchanging the full tones of y the scale tol half-tonesthrough saidenlargement being thrown in between the normal -whole-tone` progressionsof the mainscale-A holes. A 1

In thisinstrument I- start the'scale'with the note C, this, as othernotes, being indicated on the-upper: surface of the member 2 byprovidinga. staff in connection with which the f leak forms the note Ceach of the ports 19, 20, 21 `and 22 indicating noteson theiraccompanying staff lines 19a, 20a, 21a and 22a.

The vent or valve pat is used to fiat all tones, so what is normallymarked C sharp, D shar becomes C, D, when it is used.

To olli) ain the scale all of the ports and vent or valve pat beingclosed the'note C is layed; b Opening the port 18 the note g Y 1s made;then by opening. the port 19 the note E is made; then by releasing thevent Or valve pat the note F is sounded; then by Opening the ports 20,21 and 22 respectively the remaimng notes G, and A and B of the scaleare sounded.

In Figure 9, of the drawings a flexible tone chamber 25 in the form of arubber bulb is secured on the flange 26, surrounding the Open end 27 ofthe head 28, the Ocarina 29. In this form of the device the indentation30, adjacent the mouth 31, is made ina form to represent the mouth of afish in which form the entire instrument is shaped, a tail piece 32being provided at its small end. In this form of the device bycollapsing the bulb 25, the size of the tone chamber is decreased, thuschanging the pitch, but giving routine of scale fingering that may bemore familiar to accordion players where a depression of finger ma causerise in scale.

Hereto Ore lateral-vent instruments ha've been constructed to octave (ifthey octaved at all) at D. However, I have found that this arrangementmakes it very hard tolearn to play the. instrument as in studying musicin school the natural place to start a scale` is at low C-do not re (D).Then in my scale follows re, mi, etc., as second, third notes, etc. Inthe present arrangement if Octaving is attempted at C in following thescale two ke s must be operated by the little finger which 1s thehardest finger to control, in fact so hard that in the piccolo thelowest C sharp and C natural are omitted. However, by starting to octavemy scale with C in the main scale, as explained, these notes areretained. In the common type of ocarinas ten holes, in order to reachfrom C to F, are provided which must be manipulated with the fingers ofthe musician, whereas, in my instrument only five main tone holes arenecessary in order tO produce the full scale of chromatics by using a6th finger Or limb-motion'on a vent or valve marked Pat b.

Because of the arrangement of the mouthpiece I have also provided meansfor facilitating overblowing whereby the majority of notes may octave intune through the discarding of all tones for main-scale use in thecommon Ocarina obtained by closing all the finger holes. By starting `myuseful vscale above the fundamental low (closed tone) the scalegenerally follows the same law of overblowing and octaves. The leak (nota nodal hole) causes C to repeat itself exactly one octave higher byoverblowing. In m instrument all of the holes are on top an in a linewhich permits of new, harmonic eects in high notes. By intercalatin thestaff lines as raised lines between Or a jacent to the ventsl the tonesare indicated for the blind and beginners in music.

As will be noted in Figure 9 the staff lines 227) are all raised inOrder that they may be read by the touch of a blind person,.but it isintended to adopt any mode of marking the five lines of a single staffon the exterior of inst. with the holes intercalated between or on thelines as shown` on the top half of Figure 2.

The interior view of a top half, Fig. 6, shows the raised letters Pat b(reversed) that indicate the vent to pat-forafiat; and the location ofthis hole for altering pitch by a. half-tone near the mouth is a basicfeature giving more equal effect than a hole near small end now used Onocarinas for some of the half-tones.

Having described my invention that which I claim to be new and desire toprocure by Letters Patent is:

1. A lateral vent wind. instrument havingits proportions and the ventsso placedcthat the relation Of the vents and their allocation enablesfingering and Octaving t-o be normally begun at a ydesired tonic pitch.

2. An Ocarina having a tapered body and a series Of vents therein, and avent in the larger end of the body for controlling the half tone stepsof the chromatic scale while playing.

3. The invention-as in claim 2, all the scale vents of the Ocarina beingin approximate alignment. 4. A twenty Or more toned Ocarina having meansto control production of the fundamental scale from the tonic at thesmaller end to the next leading note at its larger end, said meansconsisting 4of vents only.

5. An Ocarina including a tapered body and a modifying vent in itslarger end for ,controlling half step alterations in tones emitted fromwhole tone vents in the body when said modifying vent is used inplaying. G. An Ocarina having a long tapered body with a modifying ventin the larger end to control tones at half tone steps in the scale, aseries of aligned whole tone vents in the body and an escape vent at thesmaller end of the body for Octaving fundamental tones.

7. An Ocarina having a tapered body portion and made with a series ofdefinite and progressive tone ventsfor the production of full tones andwith a tone modifying vent at its larger end to control the productionof half tone steps to said full tones, and with an escape vent at thesmaller extremity for controlling the production Of true octaves. f

8. An Ocarina having a tapered body portion, a mouth and a respectivelyangular wind lay, and made with a series of definite 11 yLausana andprogressive tone vents for controlling` .full tones, and with a tonemodifying vent at.- its larger end to control half tone steps relativetosaid full toiles, and with an escape vent at the smaller extremity forproducing n true octaves. y f f 9. A wind instrument having Va taperedbody` amouth, and a respectively angular Wind lay, a series of definiteand progressive tone vents and a tone modifying `vent at its larger endto control the production of half tone steps relative to the tonescont-rolled by the progressive tone vents throughout the compass of theinstrument.

10. An Ocarina having a tapered body portion. a plurality of scaleventsr therein, and an escape vent at its smaller end, said `vent beingnever covered and for controlling the production of true octaves.

11. An Ocarina having a mouth on top of the body, and having a pluralityOf aligned definite progressive tone vents for controlling theproduction of twenty Or more tones.

12. A musical instrument of thel wood wind type, having a tapered body,scale vents thereon, a vent at the larger end of the body beyond saidscale vents, and means still furadditional vent for ortion having tonevents and a tone modiying vent, and an octaving vent and also a taperwhereby with the instrument there may be produced the fundamentaltonesand the true octaves thereof.

y 20. In a wind instrument, a series of vents for controllingfundamental tones and an aid in the production of two or more halftone'steps while playing scale runs. y

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

HARRY BERNARD.

ther beyond said scale vents to control, while playing, the making oftones at half tone steps tO the tones controlled by the scale vents.

13. An Ocarina including means used in conjunction scale vents, thetaper of the body ,of the Ocarina being substantially inthe proportionof two to seven in six inches, said tone-modifying means giving asubstantially uniform effect on each of the full tones of theinstruments scale.

14. An Ocarina having a body portion with an approximate taper of tenrdegrees and vents positioned on top of the Ocarina.

15. An Ocarina with a series of definitel and progressive tone vents anda manually variable sound chamber, for exact 1/2 tone changes, at thelarger end of the instrument.

16. An Ocarina having a series of definite tone-modifying with thenormal and progressive tone vents and withv a pitch varying chamber atnthe larger end.' said chamber being manually operable to change if itsl.volume rapidly enough to produce half tone steps while playing scaleruns.

17. An Ocarina with a series of definite and progressive tone vents, anda sound chamber variable manually fast enough for scale runs, at thelarger end of the instrument,

comprising a respectively transversely positioned spring controlledhinged wall.

18. An Ocarina having a series of definite and progressive tone vents,and at the larger end of the instrument a variable sound chamber andmeans for manually controlling the size of said chamber fast runs.

19. A wind instrument including a body enough for Y scale

